Playoff Points: XFINITY update leaving Watkins Glen International

On the Tuesday following each regular season points race, Kickin’ the Tires takes a deep look at the current playoff grids for both the NASCAR XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series, evaluating the postseason picture for NASCAR’s second and third tours.

XFINITY Series

Track: Watkins Glen International

Event: Zippo 200 at the Glen

Race Winner: Kyle Busch

Stage Winner(s): Brad Keselowski, Paul Menard

Who Won Big

(Photo: Rusty Jarrett/NKP)

Justin Allgaier: It was a weekend of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series domination at Watkins Glen, but Allgaier held his own with the group to salvage a top five. The run gave Allgaier a 67-point edge on Brennan Poole for third in the championship standings, an advantage he should be able to maintain.

Brendan Gaughan: If there’s one driver many could point to as most likely to benefit from the Aug. road-course stretch, it’s Gaughan. The Nevadan stayed true to form at WGI, rallying to a ninth-place finish to keep himself in the final playoff position while closing in on Blake Koch and Michael Annett.

Who Hurt Their Odds:

Ryan Sieg: Looking to repeat his underdog playoff appearance in 2016, Sieg is one of a handful with everything to gain over the next month. But the underfunded regular didn’t do himself any favors on Saturday, finishing 27th and dropping to 36 points behind the playoff field.

Dakoda Armstrong: He actually finished one position better than points rival Blake Koch, but Armstrong scored fewer points due to Koch’s success in the opening stages. The Hoosier is still firmly in the playoff grid, but is within 12 points of falling out of the top 10 and gaining the crucial playoff points that come with it.

Playoff Standings:

Rank

Driver

Wins

Points

Points Ahead/Behind Cutoff

2

William Byron

3

680

333

3

Justin Allgaier

1

608

261

8

Ryan Reed

1

446

99

1

Elliott Sadler

0

732

385

4

Brennan Poole

0

541

194

5

Daniel Hemric

0

520

173

6

Cole Custer

0

503

156

7

Matt Tifft

0

460

113

9

Dakoda Armstrong

0

404

57

10

Blake Koch

0

394

47

11

Michael Annett

0

392

45

12

Brendan Gaughan

0

383

36

Playoff Cutoff

13

Ryan Sieg

0

347

-36

14

J.J. Yeley

0

340

-43

15

Ross Chastain

0

335

-48

16

Brandon Jones

0

322

-61

17

Darrell Wallace Jr.*

0

321

-62

18

Jeremy Clements

0

290

-93

19

Spencer Gallagher

0

242

-141

20

Joey Gase

0

234

-149

*Technically ineligible due to missed races. Would require a waiver to make the playoffs.

Playoff Points

Playoff Points Earned

Rank

Driver

Playoff Points

1

William Byron

17

2

Justin Allgaier

8

3

Ryan Preece

6

4 (tie)

Ryan Reed

5

4 (tie)

Elliott Sadler

5

6 (tie)

Daniel Hemric

1

6 (tie)

Darrell Wallace Jr.

1

6 (tie)

Blake Koch

1

6 (tie)

Brendan Gaughan

1

The strong day for Cup Series drivers kept the XFINITY Series from gaining any playoff points at the Glen. (Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

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About Aaron Bearden

Aaron Bearden joined Kickin' the Tires as a Motorsports Editor in 2017. Bearden specializes in NASCAR while occasionally branching out into INDYCAR and short track racing. He's probably on his iPhone right now. You can follow him on social media at @AaronBearden93.